Atom & Cosmos

Topic Image Rail

QUANTUM QUIRK Scientists observed a bizarre effect of quantum physics in light from a nearby neutron star, located in the constellation of Corona Australis (above). Light from the star, too faint to be seen in the image above, is polarized due to interactions with the vacuum of space in a strong magnetic field.

ESO, Digitized Sky Survey 2

WHAT’S IN A NAME? Names of eight stars in the constellation Orion, plus one (Cursa) in Eridanus, are among the 227 now officially sanctioned by the International Astronomical Union.

Astrobiology

All about aliens

New telescopes and spacecraft will soon help researchers scour our galaxy for signs of extraterrestrial life. But what might aliens look like? And if they do exist, why haven’t they returned our calls? These are just some of the questions addressed in the Science News special report “In Search of Aliens” (SN: 4/30/16, p. 24).